Wolsey Terrace Numbers 1 To 4, Wolsey House (Number 1) And Attached Railings

Wolsey Terrace numbers 1 to 4, including Wolsey House (number 1), is a terrace of four houses built around 1834. Originally residential, they are now offices. The buildings are constructed of stucco over brick, with concealed roof, end, and party-wall stacks. The architectural style is notable for its double-depth plan, incorporating side hallways and service ranges to the rear, with a full-height range on the left and a single-storey range on the right.

The terrace comprises two houses of two storeys over a basement, and two houses of three storeys over a basement and with attics, presenting twelve first-floor windows in total (three per house). Stucco detailing includes horizontal rustication to the ground floor and an anthemion motif to the first-floor band. Fluted Ionic pilasters punctuate this band, extending from the ground to the first floors, and are surmounted by an architrave, frieze, and cornice with a blocking course on the left. The right side exhibits plain pilasters on the second floor, topped by an urn. All windows are 6/6 sash windows within tooled architraves, aside from the attic storey windows which are 2/2 sashes. Basement windows are 3/6 sashes.

The entrances alternate left and right, featuring flights of steps leading to four-panel doors with sidelights and wide fanlights. The fanlights have decorative glazing bars – radial to number 2, a batwing and circle design to numbers 3 and 4 – all within moulded architraves with pilaster strips and cornices resting on console brackets. The right return, facing Oriel Road, has five first-floor windows and two blind openings, with 6/6 sashes and outer fluted Ionic and inner Doric pilasters to the end window bays. The rear elevation also features 6/6 sash windows.

Interior features include original narrow, open-well staircases with stick balusters and wreathed handrails, with a particularly notable newel post at number 3. Original plasterwork and shutters remain on the windows, although other interior areas have not been inspected.

Subsidiary features consist of area railings with a stylized double heart motif between pillars. Railings with a double scroll motif and wreathed handrails flank the steps. A Carron Company balcony incorporating a heart-and-anthemion motif is located at the rear of number 3. The terrace occupies a prominent location at the approach to Cheltenham town centre.